Political groups must commit themselves to respect the promotion of the values of the Council of Europe, notably political pluralism, human rights and the rule of law.

To form a group, at least twenty members from at least six different national delegations have to decide to do so. Members of the Assembly are entirely free to choose the group they wish to join. Before deciding, they can attend meetings of one or several groups and should not be bound by their national party label but choose the group which best suits their political affinities.